{"id":9494,"date":"2020-03-31T13:39:12","date_gmt":"2020-03-31T12:39:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aviationmuseum.site\/?p=9494"},"modified":"2020-03-31T13:39:12","modified_gmt":"2020-03-31T12:39:12","slug":"vickers-valetta-vx580","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviationmuseum.site\/index.php\/2020\/03\/31\/vickers-valetta-vx580\/","title":{"rendered":"Vickers Valetta VX580"},"content":{"rendered":"

Vickers Valetta VX580<\/span><\/h2>\n

Sadly, the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum<\/span><\/strong> must remain closed for the foreseeable future due to the ongoing pandemic. That means that you can’t currently come to us, but we can come to you. To this end, we are hoping to bring you a series of stories about our artefacts and exhibits.  This is the first in this virtual tour of the Museum, the Vickers Valetta VX580.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The Valetta was originally used by the RAF as a navigation and multi-engined pilot trainer. For the navigation role several trainee navigators would sit in the rear of the aircraft plotting the route under the guidance of an instructor. They sat around tables to allow plots to be taken and charts updated. For the pilot training role one student would fly with one instructor (plus a radio operator and navigator) and learn the complexities of flying with more than one engine.<\/p>\n

The Valetta was replaced in these roles by the Vickers Varsity, largely the same aeroplane but with nose gear (tricycle undercarriage) instead of being a “tail-dragger”. This was more relevant to the pilot training role as almost all aircraft in service by then had tricycle undercarriages. Some of the Valettas were then converted into VIP passenger aircraft, our aeroplane being one of them. At the end of this role, the aircraft became surplus to requirements.<\/p>\n

At this time David Hastings was looking for an aeroplane to be used as a training base for Air Scouts based in Norfolk. He contacted the RAF who offered VX580. She was flown into RAF Coltishall where the RAF removed all the items that could be used on other aircraft still in service, then she completed what was to be the last flight under her own power.<\/p>\n

The Air Scouts were invited to send a number of members to take part in this flight. The author of this article was an Air Scout in Norfolk at the time, but his parents were not on the telephone. As very short notice was given he was unable to take part. The parents of his friend at Scouts were on the phone, so he got the call and was able to go!<\/p>\n

The aircraft was flown to RAF Horsham St Faiths which was in the process of becoming Norwich Airport. The aircraft remained parked at Norwich for several years, being used to train the Air Scouts on various aviation topics. I well remember various sessions there.<\/p>\n

After several years the upkeep of the aircraft, and rent for the land, was becoming a problem so the Air Scouts approached the museum to ask whether the aircraft could be kept there and still used by the Scouts.<\/p>\n

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Painted by the late John Constable Reeve<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The answer was yes, but she is a big plane and it would be expensive to transport. Well beyond the means of either organisation. The RAF were approached to see whether they could transport it as an exercise.<\/p>\n

They agreed to this and offered the use of a Chinook to perform the move. As many components as possible were removed, and the aircraft made the journey slung beneath the mighty two-rotor helicopter. It should be noted that this was before many of the other aircraft were in position, so there were no downdraft problems whereby other aircraft might be blown over or away.<\/p>\n

Roll forward many years, visits by the Scouts had dropped off, and the aeroplane, still theirs, is becoming in need of restoration. The museum contacted Norfolk Scouts to obtain permission to restore the aircraft (it had been painted several times in the intervening period). The response was very quick, “what aeroplane?”.<\/p>\n

After some discussion between the Scouts (all of those involved with the aircraft whilst based at the airport having gone) and the museum, the former offered to donate her. After checking that they did indeed own the aeroplane (via the RAF heritage department and David Hastings) the transfer took place in late 2017. The Scouts kindly donated  \u00a3500 towards the cost of the restoration which was completed mid-2018.<\/p>\n

Currently, the aeroplane is the largest in the collection. It is used as a training base, for school visits as well as the Scout Days that we organise. She is open for viewing under our passbook scheme on certain days notified via this blog.  (Images and video below)<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Author::  Steve Bell<\/span><\/h5>\n

Video tour of the interior<\/span><\/h3>\n\n
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